Packed with facts, figures and brilliantly informed background analysis, this is an indispensable, highly readable guide to the political conflicts in today's Middle East. Written by two experts on the region, The New A-Z of the Middle East is an up-to-date and much-needed handbook. It provides the vital keys required in understanding the various social, religious and economic trends, political events and personalities that have shaped its destiny. The book covers all the principal issues that have affected the region since the break-up of the Ottoman Empire. This revised edition takes into account recent developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as the current crisis in Iraq, reformist movements in Iran, and the status of political Islam throughout the region.